Ammunition magazine holder

ABSTRACT

A HOLDER FOR A PAIR OF BOX-TYPE AMMUNITION MAGAZINES HAS A PAIR OF RECEIVERS WITH A COMMON WALL WHICH IS LOCATED BETWEEN AND CONTACTS THE LEFT SIDE WALLS OF AND AT THE BASE ENDS OF THE MAGAZINES. POCKET-TYPE RECEIVERS MADE OF RESILIENT MATERIAL ARE USED IN ONE EMBODIMENT AND ANOTHER EMBODIMENT HAS A CLAMPING ARRANGEMENT IN THE RECEIVERS PERMITS QUICK RELEASE OF EITHER MAGAZINE.

1971 L. D. SHIPLEE m AMMUNITION MAGAZINE HOLDER 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aprilv 5 1970 I l l l I 4 ll INVENTOA LEWIS D. SHIPLEE III Nov. 30, 1971 Filed April 3, 1970 L. D. SHIPLEE m 3,623,256

AMMUNITION MAGAZINE HOLDER 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 lNl/ENTOR LEWIS D. SHIPLEE HI er wo /ml ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,623,256 AMMUNITION MAGAZINE HOLDER Lewis D. Shiplee III, 818 Concord Road, Tallahassee, Fla. 32303 Filed Apr. 3, 1970, Ser. No. 25,350 Int. Cl. F41c 25/00 US. Cl. 42-50 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A holder for a pair of box-type ammunition magazines has a pair of receivers with a common wall which is located between and contacts the left side walls of and at the base ends of the magazines. Pocket-type receivers made of resilient material are used in one embodiment and another embodiment has a clamping arrangement in the receivers which permits quick release of either magazine.

This invention relates to firearms and more particularly to ammunition magazine holders which permit a pair of full magazines to be coupled together in an assembly that enables either magazine to be inserted in the firearm While the other magazine is held readily available for use as a replacement.

Modern day repeating firearms are commonly fired in bursts that consume a large number of ammunition rounds depending primarily upon the length of time that the trigger is depressed. The ammunition rounds are stored in magazines which are coupled to the firearm and are automatically delivered to the firearm as the firearm is being discharged.

The magazines have a limited storage capacity and only hold enough rounds for two or three short bursts before becoming empty. In most cases, the magazines are elongated box-type structures which when coupled to the firearm extend downwardly from a position in front of the trigger housing, and the ammunition storage capacity of the magazine is limited to a design length which will permit effective firing of the firearm from a prone position while nevertheless affording the user minimum exposure to enemy fire power.

The full magazines are normally carried by the foot soldier in bandoliers or in clothing pockets, and under combat conditions, much time is lost in withdrawing the full magazines from the bandoliers and clothing pockets for use in replacing empty magazines. Because of this, the foot soldier has resorted to the simple expedient of taping two magazines together by means of friction tape so as to have a readily accessible replacement when the ammunition in one of the magazines is consumed. In doing this, the magazines are so arranged in the taped assembly that the feed ports of the magazines are at opposite ends of the assembly and the left side walls of the magazine casings are held together in the arrangement in a face-to-face relation by means of the frictiontype tape which is used. This arrangement enables the soldier to discharge the rounds in one of the magazines, release the empty magazine from the firearm, and then, by a simple rotation of the wrist to be in a position to insert the other magazine in its place.

By using tape to hold the magazines together, one is unable to quickly separate the magazines in the assembly and this has certain disadvantages. For one, the overall length of the assembly is somewhat longer than that of a single magazine and consequently, there is greater exposure to enemy fire power when the firearm is used by the soldier from a prone position. In addition to this, there is a tendency on the part of the foot soldier 3,523,256 Patented Nov. 30., 1971 to throw away both magazines during a lull in the action if any rounds have been delivered from either magazine so as to be assured of a full magazine in the firearm and an immediately available replacement for the next encounter. This, of course, means that there is a considerable waste of ammunition under actual combat conditions.

A general object of the invention is to provide improved magazine holder for automatic firearms and which enable empty magazines to be replaced in the assembled arrangement provided by the holder.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide an improved magazine holder which will enable the foot soldier to use the firearm from a prone position and without greater exposure to enemy fire power than is contemplated by the basic design of the firearm and its magazine.

Another object of the invention is to provide a holder for a pair of magazines that facilitates the removal of the empty magazine and its replacement with a full magazine and thus encourages a reduction in the amount of ammunition that is otherwise thrown away under combat conditions.

A further object of the invention is to provide magazine holders that are inexpensive to manufacture and useful for providing a readily available replacement under combat conditions.

The novel features which are believed to be characteristic of this invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention, itself, however, both as to its organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows the preferred embodiment of the invention as seen in an assembly of two magazines where one is attached to a fully automatic firearm, the magazines and the firearm being shown in broken lines;

FIG. 2 illustrates a blank from which the holder seen in FIG. 1 may be formed;

FIG. 3 is an isometric view of the preferred embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a back side view of the holder as seen in an assembly which includes a pair of ammunition magazines, certain parts being broken away and others diagrammatically illustrated;

FIG. 5 is a side view of the assembly seen in FIG. 4, with certain parts broken away and others illustrated diagrammatically;

FIG. 6 is a front view of the assembly seen in FIGS. 4 and 5, with certain parts broken away and other illustrated diagrammatically;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view along the lines 77 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 8 is a side view of an assembly which includes a pair of ammunition magazines that are coupled together by another holder which embodies certain principles of the invention, certain parts being broken away to expose other parts;

FIG. 9 is a front View of the assembly seen in FIG. 8, with certain parts broken away;

FIG. 10 is a section view along the lines 1010 of FIG. 9, with the magazines being removed; and

FIG. 11 is a section view along the lines 11-11 of FIG. 9, with the magazines being removed.

Reference is now made to the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 7 and wherein the holder embodying certain principles of the invention is designated at 10 and seen as a component of an assembly 11 that includes a pair of ammunition magazines 13 which are held together in the assembly by means of the holder 10.

The elongated magazines 13 are of the box-type which have four side walls and will be readily recognized as being of the type used with M1, M2 and M3 thirty caliber carbines. Each magazine -13 has an arcuate case 14 which is equipped with a feed port 15 at one end 16 of the opposite ends of the magazine, and with a base plate 17 at the other end 18 of the opposite ends of the magazine.

Case 14 is hollow and houses a coiled spring 19 which at one end bears against the base plate 17 and at the other end against a follower (not shown). Spring 19 biases the follower and the ammunition rounds which are housed in the casing toward the feed port end 16 of the magazine in a manner which is well known in the art.

Adjacent the feed port end 16, the back side wall 21 of the magazine case 14 is provided with a pair of detents 22 and adjacent this wall 21 the left side wall 23 of the magazine case is equipped with another detent designated at 24. Detents 22 and 24 are engaged by appropriate components of the firearm when the magazine is coupled to the firearm for firing purposes as is Well known in the art.

The base plate 17 is retained at the base end 18 of the magazine by a pair of tabs 25 that are respectively located in the left side 23 and right side 26 walls of the magazine casing. The arrangement permits the base plate 17 to be slid forwardly for gaining access to the hollow of the magazine and as is Well known in magazines of the type illustrated, the plate -17 has a detent 27 which encounters I the inside of the front side wall 28 in the assembled magazine so as to prevent such movement in the absence of sufficient deformation of the front end of the plate to carry the detent 27 below the lower edge of the wall 28.

The case in the illustration is formed of sheet metal where the edges are interlocked in the front side wall 28 to provide an elongated longitudinally extending rib 29 that is located between the left and right side walls of the magazine. In the back wall 21, the metal is stamped to provide small openings 30 and 31 and which are respectively located adjacent to the feed port and base plate ends, 16 and 18.

The holder 10 is designed to hold magazines 13 in an 'arangement such that the feed port ends 16 are at opposite ends of the assembly 11 and in a manner such that the left side walls 23 generally confront or face each other in the area of the base plate ends 18 of the magazines 13. In this arrangement, the base plate 17 of each magazine is offset from the feed port end 16 of the other magazine so that either magazine can be inserted in the firearm without interference from the other magazine. The arrangement also leaves the rounds 20 in each magazine in position such that they face in the same direction, and hence the firearm user can simply release the magazine which is coupled to the firearm and by a simple rotation of the wrist, can place the other magazine in position for insertion into the firearm.

Although the holder may be formed by molding suitable plastic material into the shape generally shown in FIG. 3, it is preferably made from a metal blank such as designated at 35 in FIG. 2 and which is preferably of resilient material such as spring steel. Blank 35 has an elongated center plate section 36 which serves as a common wall for the two receivers 37 which are formed by appropriately bending the blank into the structural shape best seen in FIG. 3. Section 36 is somewhat elongated and has opposite ends designated at 33. Here the blank 35 has opposite end sections 38 which are integrally joined to the center plate section 36 as along the lines designated at 39. The main portion 42 of each end section 38 serves as the bottom wall of the receiver 37 with which it is associated and each section 38 has a pair of tabs designated at 40 and 41 and which are integrally joined to the main portion 42 as along the lines 43 and 44 respectively. In the formation of the structure shown in FlG. 3 these tabs 40 and 41 are bent normal to the plane of the main portion 42 of section 38. As thus bent tab 41 laps a portion of the right side wall 26 of the magazine in the receiver and prevents the base end of the magazine from moving away from the common wall provided by the center plate section36.

At the front side edge 46 of the plate section 36 the blank is provided with a pair of small tabs 45 and which are integrally joined to the section 36 as along the lines 34. These tabs 45 are arcuately bent in opposite directions in forming the holder 10 and each tab 45 serves as a yieldable resilient member that cooperates with the yieldable resilient member formed by tab 40 of the receiver in providing a clamp 32 in the structure of the receiver. The clamp formed by tabs 40 and 45 is located adjacent to the bottom wall in each receptacle and as seen in FIG. 7 tab 40 engages a portion 66 of the magazine back wall 21 which is located adjacent the base end of the magazine while tab 45 engages a corner portion 67 of the magazine front wall 28. Each tab 40 has a rounded headed rivet 48 which project inwardly in the receiver and which is aligned for reception in the opening 31 which is located in the back side wall 21 adjacent to the base plate 17 of the magazine. Rivet 48 has a narrow cylindrical head portion 49 and by virtue of the clamping action which accompany the use of tabs 40 and 45, this cylindrical portion 49 is engaged by the opening defining edges of the back wall when an attempt is made to Withdraw the magazine from the receiver by movements along the longitudinal axis of the assembly. The rivet thus provides a means which by reception in the opening of the magazine prevents withdrawal of the magazine from the receiver except as indicated hereinafter.

Along the back side edge 53 of the plate section 36, the blank is equipped with a pair of elongated sections 52 that are integrally joined to the center plate section 36 as along lines 54. In the formation of the holder, these sections 52 are bent in opposite directions along the lines 54 and are also bent along the lines 55 and 56 so as to provide 2). prong like structure which is offset from the bottom wall of the receiver and embraces the magazine generally intermediate its opposite ends. When suitably bent the sections 52 have a portion 57 which engages the back side wall 21 of the magazine, a side portion 58 which engages the right side wall 26 of the magazine and an end portion 59 which is located adjacent to the front side edge of the common Wall and engages a portion 51 of the magazine front side wall 28 which is offset from that engaged by tab 45.

Sections 52 provide a resilient means for clamping the magazines against the common side wall formed by the center section 36 and being made of resilient material can be deformed and bent away from the common side wall as for example to the position indicated at 50 in FIG. 6 so as to provide an opening 60 between the front side edge 46 and end portion 59 which will accommodate with drawal of the magazine from the receiver. In this respect, the end portion 59 generally flares forwardly so that forward pressure exerted at the feed port end 16 of the magazine will cause the end portion 59 to ride off the wall portion 51 as the section 52 deforms to provide the opening 60 for withdrawal of the magazine from the receiver.

The main portion 42 of section 38 has a cutout 61 which leaves a tab 63 at the front end of the bottom wall of the receiver and which is capable of bending because of the resilient nature of the material as along the lines 64. In addition to this and as seen in FIGS. 3, 5 and 7, the corner portion 62 of tabs 45 flare slightly forwardly in the receiver arrangement. These structural arrangements enable the magazine to be released from the rivet 48 by exerting a forward pressure at the feed port end 16 of the magazine so as to cause the magazine to rock forwardly on the bottom wall structure of the receptacle. This type of pressure on the magazine causes tab 45 to yield sufficiently far enough to permit withdrawal of the rivet head from opening 31 and simultaneously causes the prong like section 52 to yield and provide the opening 60 through which the magazine can be withdrawn from the receiver. Thus, as seen in FIG. 1, when one of the magazines 13 of assembly 11 is latched or coupled to the firearm 85 the other magazine can be quickly withdrawn from its receiver by simply causing the feed port end to be shoved forwardly as in the direction of arrow 68. This type of action will cause the depending magazine to move forwardly as indicated as 69 and thereafter to become dislodged from the receiver.

By virtue of the structural arrangement, it will be apparent that the armsman can quickly release the lowermost magazine from the grasp of the holder and thereby is capable of assuming a prone position at which the firearm is no higher from the ground than that which would normally be assumed when the firearm is equipped with but one magazine. In addition to the quick release feature of the embodiment, it will also be apparent that the empty magazines can be simply replaced during combat lulls and that the need for discarding ammunition containing magazines in order to provide suitable ammunition availability can be appreciably reduced.

Reference is now made to the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 8 through 11. In this case the magazines 13 are in all respects like those illustrated in the prior embodiment and the pair of magazines 13 are held in the assembly 71 by means of a holder which is designated at 72. Like the arrangement in the prior embodiment, the holder 72 has a pair of receivers 73 which share a common wall 74 that is interposed between the left side walls 23 of the magazines held by the receivers.

The holder in this instance is made of resilient material such as rubber or the like which can be molded in the form shown in the figures. Each receptacle has an outside wall 75 which is offset and spaced apart from the common inside wall 74 and also has a bottom wall 76, a front side wall 77, and a back side wall 78. Walls 74 through 78 inclusive are integrally joined in the molded arrangement and at the base of each receiver 73 the front and back walls are provided with transversely extending ribs 79 and 80 respectively. The front wall of each receiver is also provided with a vertically extending rib 81 and internally of the pocket like receiver the rib is provided with a groove 82 which will accommodate the rib 29 arrangement in the front wall of the magazine 13.

At the open end of each receiver, the front wall 77 is provided with a tab 83 which facilitates stretching the resilent material of the holder when the base portion of the magazine is being inserted or withdrawn from the pockettype arrangement which is thus provided.

The receivers in this case snugly fit the magazine at the base end and the magazines are primarily held in the receivers by friction occasioned by the snug fit.

In this case a magazine can be withdrawn from the receiver by pulling the magazine in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the assembly and this can be accomplished quickly as the armsman assumes a prone position so as to also provide an arrangement where the elongated nature of the assembly can be quickly modified to provide minimum exposure when the firearm is used at a prone position.

While only certain preferred embodiments of this invention have been shown and described by way of illustration, many modifications will occur to those skilled in the art and it is, therefore, desired that it be understood that it is intended herein to cover all such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of this invention.

What is claimed as new and what it is desired to secure by Letters Patent of the United- States is:

'1. A holder for a pair of elongated box-type ammunition magazines comprising a pair of magazine receivers which have a common side wall that is arranged for facial contact with and interposition between the left side walls of a pair of magazines received by the receivers, said common side wall having opposite ends and a front side edge therebetween, each of said receivers including a bottom wall which confronts the base end of a magazine re ceived thereby, clamping means which is located adjacent to the bottom wall and has a yieldable resilient member that is located at the front side edge of the common wall and arranged to engage a front side wall portion of a magazine received thereby, and resilient means which is offset from the bottom wall and arranged to clamp a received magazine against said common side wall; said resilient means having an end portion that is located adjacent to the front side edge of the common side Wall and arranged to engage another front side wall portion of a magazine received by the receiver and being yieldable to provide an opening between the front side edge and the end portion which will accommodate withdrawal of a received magazine from the receiver, and the bottom walls of said receivers being integrally joined to and located at the respective opposite ends of said common wall.

2. A holder in accord with claim 1 where said clamp means has another yieldable member that is arranged to engage a back side wall portion of a magazine received by the receiver and has means receivable in an opening in said back side wall portion.

3. A holder in accord with claim 1 where said yieldable resilient member is integrally joined to said common wall, where said clamp means has another yieldable member that is integrally joined to said bottom wall and arranged to engage a back side wall portion of a magazine received by the receiver.

4. A holder in accord with claim 3 where the other yieldable member has means receivable in an opening in said back side wall portion.

5. A holder in accord with claim 1 where said resilient means is integrally joined to said common wall.

6. A holder in accord with claim 3 where said resilient means is integrally joined to said common wall.

7. The combination comprising an ammunition magazine holder having a pair of hollow magazine receivers which are integrally joined and made of resiliently deformable material, and a pair of elongated boxtype magazines which are respectively received in said receivers; each of said magazines having a base end and a feed end and including a left side wall, a right side wall, and a front side wall with a longitudinally extending rib intermediate the left and right side walls, said receivers having a common wall which has opposite ends and which is arranged between and in facial contact with the left side walls of the respective magazines, said receivers having bottom walls which confront the base ends of the respective magazines and which are respectively located at the opposite ends of said common side wall, each of said receivers having an opening which is located at the end of said common wall that is opposite the end location of the bottom wall thereof, and each of said receivers having a front wall with an internal groove in which the rib of the received magazine is disposed.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 7/ 1942 Owsley 4250 6/ 1965 Ardolino 4250 

